Archive By Section - Letters to the Editor

Congratulations to the Turlock City Council for passing the construction of the Carnegie Arts Center by 5-0 vote Tuesday night. After over 10 years of squabbling and turf battles between the City and the arts community, this council set-up a subcommittee including: Mayor John Lazar and Council member Amy Bublak to develop a Carnegie concept that all members of the council could accept and support. Ms. Bublak took the lead in working with the Arts Foundation to develop an agreement whereby the City would build the facility using RDA funds but not provide operating funds for the facility. The Foundation ...

In the not so golden state anymore, if you stop and listen you'll notice it's quieter. You'll see more cars and trucks smoking and running on plastic factory spares. The once constant drone of traffic and commercial activity is giving way to a silence of the lambs.

We've read of a "love-hate" relationship between Turlock City Council member Ted Howze and Mayor John Lazar. It seems Mr. Howze has taken the "hate" part to a new level in his March 24 letter to the editor.

The story "Hughson city employees cry 'hostile work environment,'" which ran in the April 3 issue of the Journal, articulates well the employees' complaints which were investigated and found to be without merit and unfounded. The rest of the article voiced Hughson City Council members Thom Crowder and Ben Manley's views, which is fine if you like to hear half a story. The citizens of Hughson want any employee, manager or council member removed if they violate the law.

Now that the Sarah Palin event is sold out, the California State University, Stanislaus Foundation should announce another event for two weeks before or after the Palin event with a guest speaker such as Howard Dean or Rachel Maddow. This would achieve ideological balance and raise even more funds for scholarships.

The bow shot that Turlock City Council member Ted Howze has let loose in his opinion piece in the Turlock Journal's Wednesday paper, signals the opening of candidate season. As we all remember from the previous two City Council contests, Mr. Howze's vituperous, vicious, decidedly uncivil attacks on his perceived opponent were masterpieces of bullying. Not wishing to disappoint us, he begins anew.

For more than a year a majority of the Turlock City Council remained silent as to the reasons why former city manager Tim Kerr was fired. With the city's recent filing of a countersuit against Mr. Kerr, many of those reasons became public. I was one of three votes on the Council who chose to terminate the former city manager for reasons listed in the cross complaint which, by the process of being filed in court, has become a public document. For my part, I will let the document and the facts speak for themselves. Clearly, a majority of ...

It was very disturbing to me to read letters from readers who are either ill informed or have a concealed political motive to injure the integrity and good name of individuals. With the election for sheriff coming up this year, I'm sure there will be those who will make many misguided and false comments about harassment at the Sheriff's Department. Their hope is to confuse the voters in hopes that their unknown candidate can steal the election.

Articles by Section - Letters to the Editor

I would like to thank Rachel Ladd for the opportunity to respond to her questions and concerns within a civil and respectful forum, a distinct contrast to one sided social and broadcast media, which we have recently experienced.

The time is now for action to protect adequate water for Stanislaus County's future. The continuing drought, State law requiring Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and Plans due by 2020 /2022 (GSAs and GSPs), and recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey designating the Central Valley as the fastest sinking water level in the country necessitate swift action by our leaders. As 80 percent of the water used in California is directly used for agriculture and that industry is expanding in our county, the need for more water is growing. The League of Women Voters of California supports policies that ...